Oreo Cookies More Addictive Than Cocaine?

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Okay, so we all know how good Oreo cookies are. That rich creamy filling sandwiched between two chocolate cookies… mmm… Our mouths are watering just thinking about it…

In fact, Oreo cookies are so good that they are addicting. We don’t mean that figuratively, either. A recent study by Connecticut College in New London, Connecticut, has found that Oreo cookies are literally addictive. In fact, the study showed Oreos are as addictive as cocaine and morphine, at least in lab rats.

The study was conducted to show how potentially addictive high-fat/high-sugar foods really are. Hungry rats were placed in a maze which had Oreo cookies on one side and rice cakes on the other. The rats consistently spent more time on the Oreo side than on the rice cake side. Then they compared the results to rats which were given an injection of morphine or cocaine.

Joseph Schroeder, associate professor of psychology and director of the behavioral neuroscience program, and his students found that “rats formed an equally strong association between the pleasurable effects of eating Oreos and a specific environment as they did between cocaine or morphine and a specific environment. They also found that eating cookies activated more neurons in the brain’s “pleasure center” than exposure to drugs of abuse. ”

In other words, the rats were as determined to seek out the Oreos in a maze as they were to seek out cocaine or morphine. Even more surprising, the rat’s brains showed more signs of enjoying eating Oreos than being under the influence of either drug. So there you go. Studies show Oreo cookies are literally more addictive than cocaine. At least in rats. Give us your cookies.